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Colombian racer Gabriel ‘Gabby’ Chaves, finished his rookie season in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear in the best possible way, with a win from the pole that cemented his second-place finish in the championship battle.

It was his second consecutive win from the pole; Chaves did it the first time in Race 2 at the previous event at Mazda Raceway and then, like today, he drove a flawless race with a top competitor filling the mirrors of the #19 JDC Motorsports / CLARO / Marca Colombia /Coldeportes Mazda every foot of the way between green and checkered. In this case, it was #88 Andretti Autosport / Comfort Revolution Mazda car of Sage Karam. He, too, had a nearly-flawless race until – just for ‘style points,’ as he put it – he spun and continued in turn 7 on the last lap of the 37-lap race. Coming home third, and the potential beneficiary of Karam’s mistake were it not for the 18-second gap between 2nd and 3rd, was Connor De Phillippi in the #2 Juncos Racing / ModSpace Racing / One24 Mazda. Trying to make the best of a bad situation that nearly destroyed his car in qualifying yesterday and dropped him to 9th on the starting grid, De Phillippi drove a smart, disciplined race to finish on the podium.

“I knew that as soon as the race started I had clinched second in the championship, but that actually freed me to take an all-or-nothing attitude toward the race; I was going to win it or spin it,” says Chaves, who was born into a racing family and is a member of the prestigious 2012 FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy. “Even though I led all the way, it was a very tight race with Sage’s car always there in my mirrors. I was fortunate that he was never able to get a run on me and try to pass, which might have worked out well for Connor, but probably not for Sage or I. I’m so happy to be able to repay the JDC Motorsports team for all their hard work during the season, and my family and sponsors Claro / Marca Colombia/Coldeportes for all their help and faith. We’ll go to the awards banquet tomorrow, take it easy for a few days and then get to work on what I’m going to race next year.”

Gabby will return to Miami to continue his preparation for his next challenge, the half Iron Man which will take place on Sunday, October 28th in Miami Beach, FL.

Under very nearly ideal conditions, misty and cool but with a dry track, it was the first seven and final five laps of the 45-minute Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear qualifying session that told the tale. In the final five Colombian racer Gabby Chaves scored his second consecutive PEAK Performance pole award with a lap of 1:19.279 and will start his #19 JDC Motorsports / CLARO /Marca Colombia / Tecpro Mazda from the inside of the front row in tomorrow’s season finale of the 2012 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear during the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

Chaves, currently second in the championship, won from the pole in Race 2 of the previous event at Mazda Raceway three weeks ago. As a result, all he need to do is start tomorrow’s race to clinch 2nd in the championship.

Starting along his right side (since Chaves has opted to start driver’s left), and providing the dramatic position-swapping that punctuated the final five minutes of qualifying will be Sage Karam, who turned a 1:19.330… Chaves held the pole for most of the session until Karam took it away from him with six minutes to go; on the next-to-last lap Chaves put in a flier to snatch the pole back and was obviously jubilant.

“I’m so thankful for this after all the work the JDC Motorsports team put in during the season, all the sacrifices my family has made and all the support from my sponsors, Marca Colombia / Coldeportes / Claro / Tecpro” said Chaves, who was born into a racing family and is a member of the prestigious 2012 FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy. “It’s so important to start from the pole here because everybody in the race has nothing to lose and everything to gain, so it’s going to be extremely competitive tomorrow.”

Star Mazda on-track action at the Petit Le Mans weekend on Road Atlanta’s 2.54-mile (4.088 km), 12-turn road course will continue tomorrow afternoon. The 2012 season finale of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear is scheduled for 50 minutes and will take the green light for the series’ spectacular F1-style standing start at 3:45 Friday, Oct. 19.

Matthew Brabham had his first run the Andretti Autosport’s Star Mazda team, at the second annual Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road to Indy Open Test on the IMS F1 circuit. Having just flown in from England the young third generation driver sat out the first official day of testing to give him some time to recover from jet lag, but ran in both sessions on the 2nd and last day of the open test.

Matthew was quickly up to speed in the first session and before some of the other drivers put new tyres on at the end, he was sitting in P1 and 3/10th under the lap record help by the current Star Mazda Champion Jack Hawksworth. Brabham’s USF2000 rival Spencer Pigot and Renan Guerra jumped ahead in the last few minutes.

The second session proved to be a little slower and nobody improved their position. Brabham is fully aware that there is a lot to learn driving the Star Mazda cars, particularly in regards to managing the tyres. And when the rookie driver put new tyres on, he was disappointed not to get a big gain in the 2nd session. But overall this is a very good start to be so competitive straight out of the box, and with a proper test schedule before the first race Brabham is confident of fighting for the Championship in 2013.

“I can’t really talk about my plans for next season in Star Mazda right now, but this was a tremendous learning experience for me and obviously the Andretti Autosport team is an impressive team,” says Brabham, who will be joining the Star Mazda Championship grid in 2013 with scholarship funding from the Mazda Road to Indy. “I wasn’t expecting the Star Mazda to be so powerful in comparison to my USF2000 car, and the sequential shifting took a bit of getting used to, but I felt comfortable in the car and with some more seat time, I’m sure Spencer, my teammate from last year, and I will take up our head-to-head battle again at the first race.”

Brabham will now fly back to England for the first race of the British Formula Renault Winter Series on Oct 20/21 at the Brands Hatch GP circuit. He will again drive the Team USA Scholarship Cliff Dempsey Racing #23, in which he made his debut at Silverstone a couple of week ago finishing an impressive 6th.

When Gabby Chaves looks back on the 2012 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear season, the doubleheader this past weekend (September 8-9) at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will almost certainly be the event he remembers most fondly. The teenage standout was a leading force throughout the event in California, leading the way in testing and practice, before finishing second in Round 15 and scoring an overdue first series win with a perfect run in Round 16. The JDC MotorSports star now enters the season-finale event in mid-October positioned to end his return to North American competition currently P2 on the championship charts.

For Chaves the penultimate event on the Star Mazda calendar was all about keeping the momentum going, having charged his way into the title fight via an impressive run of five podiums in eight races. Right from the time the cars rolled on-course at Laguna Seca, it became apparent that Chaves was poised to not only continue his recent string of great results, but build on it. Ultimately setting the stage for what would be the best weekend to date for the FIA Young Driver Excellence Academy racer in 2012, the CLARO/Marca Colombia/Tecpro Barriers/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports Mazda was at the top of the speedcharts both after the promoter’s test day and the lone official practice session.

Given the speed shown in the opening four sessions, both Chaves and his JDC MotorSports crew were focused on challenging for the pole come qualifying. Having made some changes that affected the balance of the car, he was unable to post an ideal lap around the undulating 2.238-mile road course. The former Formula BMW Americas champion posted the fourth best lap, earning a row two starting position for race one of the doubleheader.

When Chaves returned to the cockpit of his red and black racing machine, he was determined to once again showcase his speed and skill. He promptly did just that, almost immediately slotting into second and challenging for the race lead. Never much more than a car length behind first place, Chaves looked for the right opportunity to make his move. That came on the final lap, with a bold pass attempt at the famed ‘Corkscrew’ turn. Reminiscent of the famed Alex Zanardi moment at the same corner in IndyCar several years ago, both Chaves and the race leader went off-course but kept their foot in it, rejoining the track without any loss of position. At the line Chaves was P2, adding another podium finish to his ever-growing racing resume. Perhaps more importantly, he had posted the fastest race lap, securing the pole position for race two.

Lining up first on the grid for Round 16, the goal was simple for Chaves…win the race. Chaves started things off in ideal fashion, getting a clean launch from the Formula One style standing start. From that point forward, the highly-regarded racer never put a wheel wrong. Turning not only mistake-free lap after lap, but also posting the fastest lap times in the process, Chaves steadily increased his lead over the newly crowned series champion. Chaves in the end led ever lap in a perfect run behind the wheel, scoring his overdue first Star Mazda Championship win by 15 seconds.

“This win is a great victory for me personally, for the JDC MotorSports team, and my sponsors, CLARO and Marca Colombia,” said a jubilant Chaves, who also set the fastest race lap. “I had a very fast car yesterday even though I finished second to Jack, and today, as soon as the race started, I felt very much in control and was able to pull out a good gap and work on driving each lap as perfectly as possible. We have had a very consistent season, with nine podium finishes, but now that I know what a Star Mazda victory tastes like, I’ll go to the final race at Petit Le Mans in a few weeks hungry for another one.”

With the race win at Laguna Seca, Chaves travels to the season-finale single race event as part of the famed Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta on October 18-19, having strengthened his hold on second in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. While he and his JDC MotorSports crew will have plenty of time to enjoy and reflect on the superb weekend in California prior to Round 17, theCLARO/Marca Colombia/Tecpro Barriers-backed racer will be busy performing various duties as a FIA Young Driver Excellence Academy racer.

Gabby Chaves remains part of the hotly contested battle for Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear supremacy, after overcoming multiple challenges over the weekend (September 1-2) on the streets of Baltimore. The highly-regarded young racer battled back from track induced car damage early in the doubleheader event to add yet another podium finish to his impressive 2012 resume in Round 13, and followed that up with a hard-fought eighth place in Round 14. With three races remaining on the series calendar, the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy racer is one four drivers still in contention for the championship crown.

Unlike several of his Star Mazda counterparts, Chaves entered the doubleheader in Baltimore with no previous race experience around the fast but treacherous street circuit located in the Inner Harbor section of town. The JDC MotorSports racer, however, was unfazed, given the success he has garnered to date on similar courses, including a recent runner-up results at the historic Trois-Rivieres street race. That being said, nothing could prepare Chaves and his talented crew for the initial track conditions, highlighted by a chaotic rail crossing on the front-straight. The bump/jump over the light rail tracks not only led to adverse handling, but promptly damaged Chaves racing steed, along with many others, ending his first practice run very prematurely. While INDYCAR and track officials attempted to rectify the problem via some repairs, the second practice session once again witnessed Chaves’ No. 19 CLARO/Marca Colombia/Tecpro Barriers/ JDC MotorSports Mazda being damaged due to the track conditions following only a few laps.

Thanks to some late night repairs, Chaves returned to action one day later greeted with yet more changes to track, with a chicane now placed across the train rails for race one of the doubleheader.

Chaves lined-up P3 for the traditional series standing start, with grid set by championship points due to the track problems. While Chaves got away cleanly when the lights went green, he immediately came under attack from the cars behind. Involved in a spirited dice for position from start to finish, the former Formula BMW Americas champion overcame not only a lack of track knowledge and experience, but also a damaged front wing via contact, holding third place all the way to the checkered flag. With his seventh podium finish in 13 races, the FIA Young Driver Excellence Academy racer regained second place in the title fight.

While Chaves had impressed in race one of the Maryland twin bill, the damaged front wing had reduced his overall speed, resulting in an unrepresentative sixth fastest race lap, and a row three starting place for Round 14. Unlike every previous road course and street circuit race, the second round in Baltimore featured a rolling start. Not getting an ideal get away, Chaves immediately fell to seventh place. The talented teenager though rapidly counter-attacked, not only regaining his lost position, but also challenging for a top-five place. Chaves took the position, however, was judged by race officials to have caused avoidable contact in the process, and thus was given a drive through penalty. Rejoining the race in 15th, Chaves put his head down and focused on going forward. The JDC racer further showcased his talents in the few remaining laps, advancing all the way back up to eighth by the checkered, despite a limited number of passing zones.

“That’s was definitely a crazy weekend,” stated Chaves. “The damage caused by the jump over railroad tracks really set us back. I entered race one with virtually no time on track and no changes to the car setup. Somehow I managed to hold on to third place in the race one, adding another podium to my resume. Race two was an up and down affair. I didn’t get a great start I wanted, but I was working my way back to the leaders when I got the penalty. After that, I just focused on getting as many positions back as possible and earning valuable points.”

In addition to the on-track action, Chaves had a busy and productive weekend outside of the cockpit in Baltimore. The 19 year-old as a member of the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy has been actively involved in programs promoting safety among teenage drivers, particularly with regards to distracted driving. Chaves as a result was recognized by Mazda North American Operations and the National Highway Traffic Administration for his efforts.

Chaves has little time to reflect on the two races in Baltimore, as he immediately returns to the cockpit of his JDC MotorSports racing steed this coming weekend (September 8-9), with Rounds 15 and 16 of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The CLARO/Marca Colombia/Tecpro Barriers-backed driver travels to northern California currently third in the championship standings, and one of four racers still in contention for the series title.

Those interested in supporting Chaves’ charge towards a career in the upper echelon of motorsports are encouraged to contact Chaves and/or his management team.

Gabby Chaves’ impressive summer run behind the wheel continued this past weekend (August 4-5), with another visit to the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear post-race podium in Trois-Rivieres. The highly-regarded racer made the most of his first appearance in the prestigious Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres, overcoming the tight street circuit confines and mixed conditions to capture a fifth position finish in Round Five, prior to superb second place in a wet Round 12. With a fourth top-three result in the past six races, Chaves is still very much in contention for post season honors.

Given Chaves had never previously visited or raced at the famed Trois-Rivieres street circuit – which has seen multiple Formula One and IndyCar drivers shine in their climb up the motorsports ladder – the goal early on was to get acclimated to the concrete-lined layout and begin working on the right setup. Unfortunately, a gearing issue in the lone practice run prevented Chaves from showcasing his true speed. That changed come qualifying, as the No. 19 CLARO/Marca Colombia/Tecpro Barriers/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports Mazda was among the leaders throughout the session, ultimately placing the teenager on the second row for the race one standing start via the fourth best time.

When the talented Star Mazda field launched from the line to commence Round 11 in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd, it immediately became apparent that Chaves was quick. That being said, the 43-lap race proved to be a frustrating affair. Stuck behind a former series race winner in Trois-Rivieres who was contesting a one-off event, Chaves’ advances were routinely disrupted/halted. Unable to complete a safe passing maneuver, the former Italian Formula 3 Championship Rookie of the Year took the checkered flag in fifth place.

Thanks to the fourth best time in race one, Chaves again started the second round of the Quebec doubleheader from the second row. Getting a good jump when the lights when out, Chaves rapidly slotted into the third position. Just as it appeared that would be his position for the race, rain began falling. Showcasing the car control skills that led him to multiple karting titles and the Formula BMW Americas championship crown, Chaves began closing on the lead duo. Unfortunately, increased rain caused Star Mazda officials to red flag the race in order for the field to pit and switch to rain tires. When the race resumed, Chaves came under attack from behind. Despite repeated contact from his pursuer, he held his position. Further late race drama occurred when the leader crashed in the slick conditions, promoting Chaves to second at the checkered flag, and a sixth podium finish of 2012.

While majority of the Star Mazda competitors will now enjoy a hiatus until the next two rounds in Maryland in early September, Chaves is immediately traveling to Cancun, Mexico, to take part in an FIA Institute presentation at the XIV Congreso Americano FIA.

As part of the FIA Institute’s OUTREACH program, Chaves has been invited to speak at a workshop for Latin American FIA Members on August 9. As member of the 2012 Young Driver Excellence Academy, Chaves will discuss his involvement with the prestigious academy and how it has helped him progress/develop as a driver, and inspired him to take action with regards to road safety via the ‘Take 5 to Stay Alive-Don’t Text and Drive’ Campaign.

Chaves resumes his pursuit of Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear wins and a championship crown on September 1-2, when Rounds 13 & 14 take place on the streets of Baltimore. The talented teenager enters the Maryland doubleheader currently third in the overall title fight.

Those interested in supporting Chaves’ charge towards a career in the upper echelon of motorsports are encouraged to contact Chaves and/or his management team.

Additional information on Gabby Chaves can be obtained from his website @ www.GabbyChaves.com.

Gabby Chaves re-affirmed his position as a young motorsports talent this past weekend (July 21-22), with two more trips to the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear podium at the Edmonton City Centre Airport circuit. The highly-regarded teenager showcased speed, racecraft, and maturity in the doubleheader, overcoming treacherous late race wet conditions in Round Nine to finish third, before repeating the feat in Round 10, despite a mechanical issue. Chaves now lies second in the Mazda Road to Indy series title fight, ready to continue his run of form in the final third of the 2012 season.

When Chaves first got behind the wheel of his CLARO/Marca Colombia/Tecpro Barriers-backed JDC MotorSports Mazda in March, the goal was the to challenge for top honors and showcase his talents in his return to North American formula car competition after two successful seasons in Europe. While the former Italian Formula 3 Championship Rookie of the Year certainly did that in the early season affairs, it his recent on-track displays that have emphasized the point.

Building on third and fourth place finishes on the streets of Toronto, Chaves wasted little time getting acclimated to the 3.631-km temporary course that the series was visiting for the first time in Edmonton, posting the third quickest lap in the opening practice session.

With added backing from OMP and GoPro, Chaves continued to show good pace in the second and final practice run, as well as the lone qualifying session, going fifth and fourth fastest respectively.

Race one of the Alberta doubleheader proved to a wild and dramatic affair. For Chaves it commenced right after the traditional standing start, as he was forced to take evasive action to avoid being contacted by other drivers. Quickly able to regain the lost positions, he was fourth when the dark overhead clouds opened up, soaking the track. With the entire Star Mazda field on racing slicks at that point, chaos ensued via cars slipping and sliding. Unfortunately for Chaves, while in the middle of a heated battle for position, he was given a drive through penalty for crossing the white line in turn one. Not letting the penalty take over his head, he instead rejoined the race and started posting the fastest laps of the race at that moment to catch up with the rest of the field. In what was ultimately a two-lap sprint to the checkered flag, the 19 year-old utilized his natural skill and the training received from the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy to charge from 12th to third, despite still driving a JDC entry with slicks on the very wet and treacherous track.

Thanks to the second fastest lap in race one, Chaves lined-up P2 for the start of race two in Edmonton one day later. The former Formula BMW Americas champion initially appeared poised to challenge for top honors. It, however, soon became apparent that something wasn’t quite right with his JDC MotorSports steed. As a result of what would post-race be determined as a differential blockage, Chaves struggled with overall grip. With Chaves squeezing every ounce of speed from the less than ideal car, he ultimately finished a well deserved third, giving him three podiums in the last four races, and five trips to podium in the 10 Star Mazda races to date.

“I want to thank my team for the hard work and giving me a car to be a top competitor,” commented Chaves. “We will keep working hard to keep improving and deliver victories in the coming races.”

The chase for Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear supremacy resumes on August 4-5, with a pair of races around the historic street circuit in Trois-Rivieres, Canada. Chaves enters the final of back-to-back-to-back events in Canada as not only one of the hottest drivers in the Mazda Road to Indy series, but also as the new second place man in the driver standings.

The young driver from the FIA Institute Excellence Academy finished third today at the GP of Edmonton and will start second for tomorrow’s race.

Gabby Chaves, sponsored by CLARO / TECPRO BARRIERS / MARCA COLOMBIA, had one of his best performances this season, while overcoming wet track conditions on slick tires and a drive through penalty.

Todays’s result leaves the teenager just three points behind second place in the championship, reducing the gap with the points leader.

Besides obtaining his fourth podium of the season so far, it must be said that most of the race was disputed under wet track conditions, with the colombian turning in yet another finely-driven performance on his #19 JDC Motorports car on slick tires during the whole race.

“It was a difficult start from P4, where I preferred to let cars pass, instead of being hit and taken out on the first turn. When the rain hit the track, running in fourth place, many cars were sliding since we had all started on slick tires, and to prevent an incident I touched the line that marked the pit entrance, move that got me a drive through penalty. I rejoined the race in 12th position and made my way through to finish the race in third place”. said Gabby Chaves . “I am satisfied with this result and I want to thank everyone in my team for trusting my input and working with me to make the car better”, added the OMP-GoPro young driver.

Canada’s 2011 Formula 1600 Champion and current 2012 points leader, Nathan Blok, is proud to officially announce that Aurora Tool Company has signed on as associate sponsor.

Aurora Tools, is a 100% Canadian owned innovative tool company providing high quality, highly engineered tools and industrial MRO products to meet the ever-changing demands of the industrial market. As Canada’s best value in industrial tools, Aurora Tools offers a quality line of air tools, hand tools and a wide variety of shop equipment to meet the highest of demands. Aurora Tools products are available through its Canadian distributor partners coast to coast.

“The Aurora Tools team is very proud to be a new sponsor partner with Nathan Blok Racing”, said Brian Camacho, head
of Aurora Tools Division. “We hope to have a long and mutually beneficial relationship for many years to come.”

“I am very excited to welcome Aurora Tools to our team, and to be able to provide them with a platform to showcase their line of products”, said Nathan. “The 2012 Canadian Grand Prix was a perfect venue to begin our relationship. And if my success there is any indication Nathan Blok Racing and Aurora Tools can look forward to an exciting and prosperous future together.”

Nathan Blok, a multiple championship winning, open wheel sensation from Beachburg Ontario and current leader of the Formula 1600 Series, has many top accolades under his belt in his short time racing. Acknowledged as one of the most promising up and coming open wheel drivers to come out of Canada, Nathan’s accolades include extensive wins and top podium finishes with multiple championships under his belt. Nathans 2013 plans are to explore opportunities to race at a higher level that will challenge him differently than ever before. Potential plans are to advance to the Star Mazda Series and showcase his talent at a higher international level on his road to Formula 1.

For More info on Aurora Tools- Aurora Tools, is a supplier of industrial grade hand and air tools and is widely considered the best value industrial tool brand in Canada. For more information on Aurora Tools, please visit; www.aurora-tools.com

Gabby Chaves returns to the USA after a five day workshop at the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy, which focused on one of the most important aspects of the programme: road safety. To help with this, the Academy has been making use of the resources and coaching available at Test & Training International’s Road Safety Training Centre in Teesdorf, Austria.

Here the drivers have been educated in all areas of safety from learning the right mental approach to understanding the engineering advances such as anti-lock braking and stability control.

They then took to the track to further increase their knowledge with tests on variable road surfaces to demonstrate how to deal with driving hazards. The emphasis throughout has been on behaviour-orientated training for the drivers so they can convey passive and active road safety information in both a practical and theoretical form.

FIA Institute experts were also on hand to provide further education. FIA Institute Medical Advisor Dr Paul Trafford gave a presentation on all areas of motor sport medicine, including driver preparation, accident response and vehicle extraction. FIA Institute Sustainability Advisor Even Wiger gave a presentation on environmental developments in motor sport, a subject that will become increasingly relevant for the young drivers.

Equipping them with this knowledge will not just help them on a personal level but also give them the ability to deal with sensitive questions about safety and sustainability in motor sport.

The drivers themselves have embraced this education, with some of them already actively participating in road safety campaigns in their own countries…
Read article FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy

Race car driver Gabby Chaves has been leading a campaign in his home state of Florida to encourage people to stop texting while driving, and he will now introduce this campaign in his native country, Colombia.

Gabby Chaves will travel to Indianapolis this Wednesday for the fifth round of the Star Mazda Championship, which will take place on May 26 at the Lucas Oil Raceway, the night before the Indy 500. This will be Gabby’s first experience racing in an oval track.

“I am looking forward to this new experience. We have been working very hard with my engineer Rick Cameron and my team JDC Motorsports, to be able to get the best set-up of the car and I am very happy with the progress we’ve made so far. This is a completely different type of race, plus it will also be my first time racing at night, which makes it even more interesting. I have been preparing mentally and physically and with everything that I’ve been learning at the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy, I am ready to take on this new challenge.”

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